Typhoon Pummels Japan, 260,000 Evacuate

A sightseeing boat is seen overturned by a bridge after the Katsura River was overflooded by torrential rains caused by a powerful typhoon in the popular tourist destination of Kyoto, western Japan, Monday, Sept. 16, 2013.

At least one person was killed and some 260,000 residents forced to evacuate their homes when a powerful typhoon hit Japan Monday, the Associated Press reports.

Wind speeds up to 100 mph and torrential rains centered on the city of Sendai as the typhoon, dubbed Man-yi, hit the city about 160 miles north of Tokyo, causing severe flooding and mudslides throughout the area. A 72-year-old woman was found dead in the debris of her home after it had been demolished by a mudslide in Shiga prefecture. The public news service NHK says at least three people remain missing. Roughly 260,000 were forced to leave their homes in the popular tourist city of Kyoto.

A Japanese meteorogical services said an “unprecedented amount of rainfall” had been dumped on Kyoto—roughly three inches per hour—according to the AP.

Officials said accumulated rainwater had to be pumped from around storage tanks containing highly radioactive water to avoid spillover and further contamination of the surrounding area. Water that officials say was untainted was sent to the Pacific ocean, potentially in violation of safety rules. Regulators are currently investigating, the AP reports.